Records of Mercado’s slain lover missing

The case folder containing records of the death of Raquel Ambrosio, the alleged lover of former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and daughter of the late comedian Babalu can no longer be located, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Makati City Police said on Tuesday.

Because of this, NBI Director Virgilio Mendez has ordered a thorough search of the missing case files. The NBI chief said the murder case can still be revived.

The 12-year-old case was again brought to the attention of the public during a Senate inquiry into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2. Mercado was one of the resource persons during hearings at the chamber.

Ambrosio died on April 24, 2002 inside a condominium unit reportedly owned by Mercado. The circumstances surrounding her supposed suicide were strongly doubted because a gunshot wound was to her stomach, not her head or mouth.

Her death became more mysterious after case investigators admitted that they failed to investigate the crime scene since it was already put back in order when they arrived.

The probers also failed to investigate the firearm that was used by Ambrosio to kill herself because it was already missing and was only surrendered to the police by one of Mercado’s personnel two days after the incident.

The police reportedly based their investigation only on the account and statements of Mercado, who was then the vice mayor of Makati City (Metro Manila).

Mercado reportedly told the police that prior to the suicide, he had quarreled with Ambrosio on the issue on who should live in their resort in Bataan province.

The Ambrosio case folder was reported missing in both the office of the NBI-Death Investigation Division and even its records section, prompting Mendez to order the search.

Meanwhile, the Makati City Police chief, Sr. Supt. Ernesto Barlam, also ordered a search for the folder after they discovered that it was missing.

One thing is clear. The suicide report is wrong. The death occurred by accident or by design. A gunshot to the stomach does not cause immediate death. Death probably occurred by bleeding out hours after the gunshot. No suicide is known of where it was committed by shooting themself in the stomach. 97.3% of gunshot wounds to the stomach result in recovery. All police involved in writing this report must be demoted or fired. This is case of money being paid to write a fabricated report.

It seems there was corruption again involved. Is there any honest prominent person in the philippines. This country seems to be filled with godless people. Rapes, 28 per day, thats horrendous, murders, well they dont give us the statistics on that but i have no doubt they are very high. I know within 2 months of me moving to this country my wife had started a small restaurant & we were held up by 3 guys 2 with guns, & i have no doubts had we given the slightest resistance they would have shot all of us there.